Unit 4

perfectionist

someone who is not satisfied with anything unless it is completely perfect

psychologist

someone who is trained in psychology

perfectionism

the quality of wanting to be perfect all the time

primarily

mainly

underperform

if a business underperforms, it does not make as much profit as it expected to make

athlete

someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping, and throwing

participate

to take part in an activity or event

achiever

someone who is successful because they are determined and work hard

prevent

to stop something from happening, or stop someone from doing something

regret

to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it

fulfil your potential

if you fulfil your potential you are as successful as you possibly can be

make my mark

to become successful or famous

grab

to take an opportunity, accept an invitation etc immediately

dare

to be brave enough to do something that is risky or that you are afraid to do

comfort zone

your comfort zone is the range of activities or situations that you feel happy and confident in

avoid

to stay away from someone or something, or not use something

forcing yourself

to make someone do something they do not want to do

unproductive

not achieving very much

persistence

determination to do something even though it is difficult or other people oppose it

pay dividends

if something pays dividends, it is very useful and brings a lot of advantages, especially later in the future

high flyer

someone who is extremely successful in their job or in school

entrepreneur

someone who starts a new business or arranges business deals in order to make money, often in a way that involves financial risks

inspiring

giving people a feeling of excitement and a desire to do something great

exposure

the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc

viewer

someone who watches television

outselling

to sell more goods or products than a competitor

philosophy

the attitude or set of ideas that guides the behaviour of a person or organization

mantra

a word or phrase representing a rule or principle which someone often uses, but which other people often find annoying or boring

grant

to give someone something or allow them to have something that they have asked for

retire

to stop working, usually because you have reached a certain age

venture

a new business activity that involves taking risks

1 grasp an opportunity

to eagerly and quickly use an opportunity to do something

2 grasp the fact

to completely understand a fact or an idea, especially a complicated one

1 seize every opportunity

if you seize an opportunity, you quickly and eagerly do something when you have the chance to

2 seize power

to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, using military force

take control

to get possession or control of something

doom

if something is doomed, it is certain to fail, die, be destroyed

doubt

to think that something may not be true or that it is unlikely

exceed

to be more than a particular number or amount

encounter

to experience something, especially problems or opposition

setback

a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were

expectation

what you think or hope will happen

trust

to be sure that something is correct or right

praise

to say that you admire and approve of someone or something, especially publicly

ambitious

an ambitious plan, idea etc shows a desire to do something good but difficult

goal

something that you hope to achieve in the future

update

to add the most recent information to something

inventions

a useful machine, tool, instrument etc that has been invented

storehouse

a building where things are stored

resemble

to look like or be similar to someone or something

dimly-lit

fairly dark or not giving much light, so that you cannot see well

reject

to refuse to accept, believe in, or agree with something

consumer

someone who buys and uses products and services

sympathy

the feeling of being sorry for someone who is in a bad situation

concept

an idea of how something is, or how something should be done

selective

careful about what you choose to do, buy, allow etc

ignorance

lack of knowledge or information about something

previous

having happened or existed before the event, time, or thing that you are talking about now

tendency

if someone or something has a tendency to do or become a particular thing, they are likely to do or become it

poignant

making you feel sad or full of pity

significant

having an important effect or influence, especially on what will happen in the future

haphazardly

happening or done in a way that is not planned or organized

logically

using a thinking process in which facts and ideas are connected in a correct way

randomly

happening or chosen without any definite plan, aim, or pattern

fleeting

lasting for only a short time

durable

continuing for a long time

indiscriminately

if something is done indiscriminately, it is done without thinking about what harm it might cause

aversion

a strong dislike of something or someone

graveyard

a place where things that are no longer wanted are left

shatter

to completely destroy or ruin something such as someone’s beliefs or life

adjust

to gradually become familiar with a new situation

aisle

a long passage between rows of seats in a church, plane, theatre etc, or between rows of shelves in a shop

crammed

completely full of things or people

cacophonous

producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

acquire

to obtain something by buying it or being given it

nickname

a name given to someone, especially by their friends or family, that is not their real name and is often connected with what they look like or something they have done

capitalism

an economic and political system in which businesses belong mostly to private owners, not to the government

discontinued

to stop doing, producing, or providing something

caffeinated

containing caffeine

regrettable

something that is regrettable is unpleasant, and you wish things could be different

explode

to burst, or to make something burst, into small pieces, usually with a loud noise and in a way that causes damage

pathos

the quality that a person, situation, film, or play has that makes you feel pity and sadness

bittersweet

feelings, memories, or experiences that are bittersweet are happy and sad at the same time

melancholy

a feeling of sadness for no particular reason

impermanence

the quality of not staying the same forever

impart

to give a particular quality to something

understatedly

in a simple way that is attractive but without too much decoration

mortgages

a legal arrangement by which you borrow money from a bank or similar organization in order to buy a house, and pay back the money over a period of years

albeit

used to add information that reduces the force or importance of what you have just said

accumulate

to gradually increase in numbers or amount until there is a large quantity in one place

persevere

to continue trying to do something in a very determined way in spite of difficulties

upstate

in the northern part of a particular state

convert

to change something into a different form, or to change something so that it can be used for a different purpose or in a different way

granary

a place where grain, especially wheat, is stored

overwhelmingly

very largely, more importantly etc

striking

unusual or interesting enough to be easily noticed

viable

a viable idea, plan, or method can work successfully

assume

to think that something is true, although you do not have definite proof

worthy

to deserve to be thought about or treated in a particular way

steward

to protect something or be responsible for it, especially something such as nature, public property, or money

resource

the money, property, skill etc that you have available to use when you need them

rival

one of a group of things that people can choose between

belatedly

happening or arriving late

abandon

to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue

contemplate

to accept the possibility that something is true

conspire

to secretly plan with someone else to do something illegal

turn of events

a sudden or unexpected change that makes a situation develop in a different way

vividly

clearly brightly

devastated

feeling extremely shocked and sad

demotivated

feeling less eager or willing to do your job

empower

to give someone more control over their own life or situation

adversity

a situation in which you have a lot of problems that seem to be caused by bad luck